Malcolm Duffield provides advanced high-level sales coaching, ‘basic sales training’ and sales training for pre-sales and post-sales engineering staff. Delivered in ways markedly different to the typical classroom lecture approach.

Like the game of ‘Go’ – selling is strategically complex, nuanced and as dependent on intuition as it is process. Whilst Chess has been mastered by computers, Go is still well beyond their abilities. So it is with sales – process alone is no guarantee of success because customers are humans, are fiendishly complex, intuitive and need to be met on their terms.

Humans need to interact rather than merely transact. They have many needs, wants and aspirations – not all clearly stated. Having a proposal that is a good fit to the stated need is a start. Having a price that’s in the ball park will also help – but what will invariably make the difference between success and failure will be our ability to understand, connect with and provide value to the customer as a person.

I focus uniquely on IT sales; where solution and value, but above all human connection through respect, integrity and empathy, have to be brought together in order to win high-value deals.

I have 30 years experience in this industry, and I know what works.